Conveyor having bottom opening for accommodating a conveyor support structure and method of using same

ABSTRACT

A conveyor includes a frame having first and second spaced frame elements, first and second drive rollers between the frame elements, and a flexible belt mounted between the first and second drive rollers that has a load bearing portion and a return portion, the return portion extending between the first and second frame elements. The conveyor has a first end portion including the first drive roller, a second end portion including the second drive roller and a central portion including a midpoint between the first drive roller and the second drive roller, and the central portion of the conveyor includes a lift-table receiving space between the first drive roller and the second drive roller and between the first frame element and the second frame element, and the return portion of the belt extends between the load bearing portion and the lift-table-receiving space.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

The present application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional PatentApplication No. 61/648,204, filed May 17, 2012, the entire contents ofwhich are hereby incorporated by reference.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is directed toward a conveyor that is mountable ona support structure such as a lift table and toward a method of usingsame, and, more specifically, toward a conveyor having a bottom openingconfigured to receive part of a lift table to reduce a combined heightof the conveyor and lift table when the conveyor is mounted on the lifttable and toward a method of using same.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Conventional conveyors, such as conveyor 200 illustrated in FIGS. 1-3,are often constructed to have an upper conveyor belt surface that islocated 12 inches above the floor or ground or other surface on whichthe conveyor 200 is mounted. This standard height makes it easier forconveyors to be integrated into existing production lines, many otherelements of which are designed to work with a 12 inch conveyor height.Conveyors having belt surfaces located at greater heights can beprovided by mounting a standard-height conveyor on a platform. However,in order to accommodate a belt return and associated tensioning rollers214 and the conveyor drive shaft 212, it is difficult to make conveyorsthat are significantly shorter than the standard 12 inch height.

Various known stacking devices 202 are designed to form stacks ofmaterial on a conveyor that is mounted on a lift table. A lift table 204having a platform 205 supporting the conveyor 200 is illustrated inFIGS. 4 and 5. A stacking process begins with the lift table 204 in araised position (FIG. 4) so that items exiting the stacker 202 fall apredetermined distance onto the conveyor 200 and form a stack (notillustrated). As the stack increases in height, the lift table 204lowers the stack to maintain the predetermined distance between thedischarge end of the stacker 202 and the top of the stack. When thestack has reached a desired height, the lift table 204 is operated tobring the top of the conveyor 200 to the standard 12 inch height so thatthe stack can be transferred onto an adjacent conveyor 206.

As previously noted, the adjacent conveyor 206 will generally have aload carrying surface 218 located 12 inches above the floor. However,given that the lift table 204 has a minimum height of 8 to 12 inchesfrom its bottom to the top of the platform 205, and that it is difficultto make a conveyor 200 having a height less than 12 inches, the lifttable 204 cannot lower a conventional conveyor 200 to the 12-inch heightnecessary for transferring a stack to the adjacent conveyor 206.Therefore, in conventional facilities using stackers 202 and conveyors200 mounted on lift tables 204, a pit 208 is often dug in the floor 210next to the stacker 202 so that the lift table 204 can be mounted in thepit 208. This allows the lift table 204 to lower the conveyor 200 closeto, even with, or beneath the level of the floor 210 as necessary tobring the top surface of the conveyor 200 to the 12-inch height andalign it with the load carrying surface 218 of the adjacent conveyor206.

Digging a pit in a plant floor is undesirable for many reasons. First,there is an expense involved with digging and lining the pit and, insome cases, sealing the pit against water leakage. Moreover, after thepit is dug, any change in the layout of the manufacturing or processingline must either work around the location of the pit, or the pit must befilled in and a new pit dug in a new location. This reduces theflexibility of the line an increases the cost of any changes. If the pitis significantly larger than the lift table to be mounted therein, thepit may also pose a safety hazard and require appropriate marking,guards, etc. Alternately, raising the stacking device and all otherequipment to a non-standard height of 20 inches, for example, would becost prohibitive. It would therefore be desirable to provide a conveyorthat can be used with a lift table and lowered to a 12 inch heightwithout the use of a pit.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

These and other problems are addressed by embodiments of the presentinvention, a first aspect of which comprises a conveyor having a framewith first and second spaced frame elements having outer sides andfacing inner sides. First and second drive rollers are mounted betweenthe first and second frame elements, and a flexible belt is mounted onthe first and second drive rollers. First and second drive wheels areconnected to the first and second drive rollers, and a drive is operablyconnected to the first and second drive wheels and configured to drivethe belt in a first direction and in a second direction opposite thefirst direction.

Another aspect of the invention comprises a conveyor having a frame withfirst and second spaced frame elements each having a top, a bottom, anouter side and an inner side. The inner side of the first frame elementfaces the inner side of the second frame element, and the conveyorincludes first and second drive rollers, each having a diameter, betweenthe first and second frame elements. A flexible belt is mounted betweenthe first and second drive rollers and has a load bearing portion and areturn portion, and the return portion extends between the inner sidesof the first and second frame elements. The conveyor further comprises afirst end portion including the first drive roller, a second end portionincluding the second drive roller and a central portion including amidpoint between the first drive roller and the second drive roller. Thecentral portion of the conveyor includes a lift-table receiving spacebetween the first drive roller and the second drive roller and betweenthe first frame element and the second frame element, and the returnportion of the belt extends between the load bearing portion and thelift-table-receiving space.

A further aspect of the invention comprises a conveyor having a framewith first and second spaced frame elements having outer sides andfacing inner sides, first and second drive rollers between the first andsecond frame elements, a flexible belt mounted on the first and seconddrive rollers, and drive means for driving the first drive roller in afirst direction and for driving the second drive roller in a seconddirection opposite said first direction.

Yet another aspect of the invention comprises a method of transferringarticles that includes providing a planar support surface, providing afirst conveyor having a load carrying surface, and placing the firstconveyor on the support surface such that the load carrying surface islocated a first distance from the planar support surface. The methodalso includes providing a lift table shiftable between a loweredconfiguration and a raised configuration, where the lift table in thelowered configuration has a first height, and placing the lift tableadjacent to the first conveyor on the planar support surface. The methodfurther includes providing a second conveyor having a bottom and a loadcarrying surface and a lift-table receiving opening, the second conveyorload carrying surface being spaced from the bottom by a second distance,where a sum of the first height and the second distance is greater thanthe first distance, and placing the second conveyor on the lift tablewith a portion of the lift table in the lift-table-receiving opening sothat a second height, from the planar support surface to the secondconveyor load carrying surface, is less than the sum of the first heightand the second distance. The method also includes transferring anarticle from the second conveyor to the first conveyor.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

These and other aspects and features of embodiments of the presentinvention will be better understood after a reading of the followingdetailed description together with the attached drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the bottom of a conventional conveyor.

FIG. 2 is a bottom plan view of the conveyor of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is sectional elevational view taken in the direction of lineIII-III in FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is a side elevational view of a system including a lift table ina raised position mounted in a pit and supporting the conveyor of FIG.1.

FIG. 5 is a side elevational view of the system of FIG. 4 showing thelift table in a lowered position.

FIG. 6 is a bottom plan view of a conveyor according to an embodiment ofthe present invention.

FIG. 7 is a sectional elevational view taken in the direction of lineVII-VII in FIG. 6.

FIG. 8 is an end elevational view of the conveyor of FIG. 6.

FIG. 9 is a side elevational view of the conveyor of FIG. 6.

FIG. 10 is a top plan view of a section of flexible belt for theconveyor of FIG. 6.

FIG. 11 is a side elevational view of the belt of FIG. 10 in a curvedconfiguration.

FIG. 12 is a side elevational view of a system including the conveyor ofFIG. 6 mounted on a lift table.

FIG. 13 is a side elevational view of the conveyor of FIG. 6 showing thelocation of a motor.

FIG. 14 is a flow chart illustrating a method according to an embodimentof the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Referring now to the drawings, wherein the showing are for illustratingpresently preferred embodiments of the invention only and not for thepurpose of limiting same, FIG. 6 shows a conveyor 10 according to anembodiment of the present invention. Conveyor 10 includes a first frameelement 12 having an inner side 14, an outer side 16, a top 18 and abottom 20, and a second frame element 22 parallel to and spaced from thefirst frame element 12. The second frame element 22 includes an innerside 24 facing the inner side 14 of the first frame element, an outerside 26, a top 28 and a bottom 30. The bottom 20 of the first frameelement 12 (FIG. 8) and the bottom 30 of the second frame element 22both lie in a common plane (not specifically illustrated) and form thebottom of the conveyor 10. The volume bounded by the inner sides 14, 24of the first and second frame elements 12, 22 and the common plane inwhich the bottoms 20, 30 of the first and second frame elements 14, 22lie define a conveyor interior 34.

A first drive roller 36 is connected between the first frame element 12and the second frame element 18 at a first end 38 of the conveyor 10,and a second drive roller 40 is connected between the first and secondframe elements 12, 14 at the second end 42 of the conveyor 10. Theconveyor interior 34 includes a first transverse support 44 and a secondtransverse support 46 connected between the first and second frameelements 12, 22 and parallel to the first and second drive rollers 36,40. The portion of the conveyor 10 between the first transverse support44 and the first end 38 of the conveyor 10, which includes the firstdrive roller 36, may be referred to herein as the first end portion 48of the conveyor 10, the portion of the conveyor 10 between the secondtransverse support 46 and the second end 42 of the conveyor 10 may bereferred to herein as the second end portion 50 of the conveyor 10, andthe portion of the conveyor 10 from the first transverse support 44 andthe second transverse support 46 may be referred to as the centralportion 52 of the conveyor 10. A first longitudinal brace 54 and asecond longitudinal brace 56 connect the first and second transversesupports 44, 46 at locations inward of the first and second frameelements 12, 22, and a plate 58 (FIG. 7) is connected to the first andsecond transverse supports 44, 46 and first and second longitudinalbraces 54, 56 and defines therewith a lift-table-receiving space 60within the conveyor interior 34. A first tensioning roller 62 isconnected between the first frame element 12 and the second frameelement 22 in the first end portion 48 of the conveyor interior 34, anda second tensioning roller 64 is connected between the first frameelement 12 and the second frame element 22 in the second end portion 50of the conveyor interior 34.

A flexible belt 70, a segment of which is illustrated by itself in FIGS.10 and 11, comprises a series interconnected rigid plastic elements 72jointed by hinge pins 74. A belt formed of a reinforced polymer materialand/or a fabric (not illustrated) or any other conventional, flexible,belt, could also be used. The flexible belt 70 is mounted on the firstand second driver rollers 36, 40, and includes a load carrying portion76 near the tops 18, 28 of the first and second frame elements 12, 22and a return portion 78 that runs through the interior 34 of theconveyor 10. The first and second tensioning rollers 62, 64 push thereturn portion 78 of the belt 70 toward the load carrying portion 76 andhold the return portion 78 of the belt 70 between the plate 58 and theload carrying portion 76 of the belt 70 in the central portion 52 of theconveyor interior 34. The positions of the first and second tensioningrollers 62, 64 and/or the force they exert on the return portion 78 ofthe belt 70 are adjustable to maintain a desired tension on the belt 70.

With reference to FIGS. 6 and 8, an end portion 80 of the first driveroller 36 projects through the first frame element 12 in the first endportion 48 of the conveyor 10 and has a first drive wheel 82, which maycomprise a sprocket 82, mounted thereon; similarly, an end portion 84 ofthe second drive roller 40 projects through the first frame element 12in the second end portion 50 of the conveyor 10 and has a second drivewheel 86, which may comprise a sprocket 86, mounted thereon. A drive 88,illustrated in FIG. 13, is mounted on the outer side 16 of the firstframe element 12, and includes a drive sprocket 90 that is turned by thedrive 88 and which can be seen in FIG. 9 in which the drive 88 has beenremoved for illustration purposes. A drive chain 92 connects thesprocket 90 of the drive 88 to the first drive sprocket 82 and thesecond drive sprocket 86, and tensioning sprockets 94 are adjustable tomaintain a desired tension on the drive chain 92. A belt drive (notillustrated) could also be used with flanged drive wheels (notillustrated) configured to guide and retain the belt. Mounting the drivechain 92 and the first and second drive sprockets 82, 86 on the outerside 16 of the first frame element 12 increases the space beneath theflexible belt and provides room for the lift-table-receiving space 60 inthe conveyor interior 34. However, it would also be possible to mountthe first and second drive sprockets 82, 86 on the inner side 14 of thefirst frame element if sufficient space is provided for these elementsbetween the belt 70 and the first frame element 12.

The drive shaft 212 and associated tensioning rollers 214 ofconventional conveyors are centrally located on the bottom of theconveyor in order to allow the conveyor to be driven in two directions.If the drive shaft 212 were located at one end of the conveyor, it wouldbe possible to drive the conveyor in only one direction by pulling theconveyor belt along the top of the conveyor toward the drive shaft.Conventional conveyor belts are flexible, and a flexible belt cannot bedriven by pushing on the belt. Thus, it is generally considerednecessary to provide a centrally disposed drive shaft to allow theconveyor to be driven in two directions. Indeed, conveyor manufacturersare sometimes reluctant to move drive shafts even slightly off center onthe ground that this may increase wear and lead to premature failure ofthe belt and/or drive components. Using such a conventional system, itis not possible to provide sufficient space beneath the conveyor toaccommodate a lift table and to drive the conveyor in two directions.

By providing first and second drive rollers 36, 40 at either end of theconveyor 10, and equipping them with first and second drive sprockets80, 82, on the outer side 16 of the first frame element 12, rather thanusing a centrally mounted drive shaft as in the conventional art, aconveyor is constructed with a lift-table-receiving space 60 in theconveyor interior 34, which is not possible with a conventional design.Because both the first and second drive rollers 36, 40 are connected tothe drive 88, the flexible belt 70 can be driven in both directions.While this arrangement is more expensive than the design of aconventional conveyor having a central drive shaft, it is less expensivethan the cost of a conventional conveyor and the labor involved inconstructing a pit and thus reduces overall costs and allows for greaterflexibility in the positioning of equipment.

With reference to FIG. 12, the conveyor 10 is mounted on the lift table204 with the platform 205 of the lift table 204 inside thelift-table-receiving space 60 and the plate 58 resting on the platform205. Preferably, the locations of the first and second transversesupports 44, 46 and the first and second longitudinal braces 54, 56 areselected to define a lift-table-receiving opening 60 that isapproximately the same size as the lift table platform 205 to securelyhold the conveyor on the lift table platform 205. The adjacent conveyor206 has a load carrying surface 218 that is located a first distanceabove floor 210, generally 12 inches, and the lift table 204 has a firstheight from the floor 210 to the top of platform 205. The load carryingportion 76 of the flexible belt 70 is located a second distance from thebottoms 20, 30 of the first and second frame elements 12, 22. With theplatform 205 mounted in the lift-table-receiving space 60 of theconveyor 10, the combined height of the lift table 204 and the conveyor10 mounted thereon is less than or equal to the first distance. In thismanner, the load carrying portion 76 of the flexible belt 70 of theconveyor 10 can be aligned with the load carrying surface 218 of theadjacent conveyor 206 to allow objects and/or stacks of objects to betransferred back and forth between the conveyor 10 and the adjacentconveyor 206 without the need for a pit 208.

A method according to an embodiment of the present invention isillustrated in FIG. 14 and includes a step 120 of providing a planarsupport surface, a step 122 of providing a first conveyor having a loadcarrying surface, and a step 124 of placing the first conveyor on thesupport surface such that the load carrying surface is located a firstdistance from the planar support surface. The method also includes astep 126 of providing a lift table shiftable between a loweredconfiguration and a raised configuration, the lift table in the loweredconfiguration having a first height, and a step 128 of placing the lifttable adjacent to the first conveyor on the planar support surface. Themethod further comprises a step 130 of providing a second conveyorhaving a bottom and a load carrying surface and a lift-table receivingopening, the second conveyor load carrying surface being spaced from thebottom by a second distance, a sum of the first height and the seconddistance being greater than the first distance, a step 132 of placingthe second conveyor on the lift table with a portion of the lift tablein the lift-table-receiving opening so that a second height, from theplanar support surface to the second conveyor load carrying surface, isless than the sum of the first height and the second distance and a step134 of transferring an article from the second conveyor to the firstconveyor.

The present invention has been described herein in terms of one or morepresently preferred embodiments. Modifications and additions to theseembodiments will become apparent to those of ordinary skill in the artupon a reading of the foregoing description. It is intended that allsuch modifications and additions form a part of the present applicationto the extent they fall within the scope of the several claims appendedhereto.

What is claimed is:
 1. A conveyor comprising a frame having first andsecond spaced frame elements having outer sides and facing inner sides,first and second drive rollers between the first and second frameelements, a flexible belt mounted on the first and second drive rollers,first and second drive wheels connected to the first and second driverollers, and a drive operably connected to the first and second drivewheels and configured to drive the belt in a first direction and in asecond direction opposite the first direction, wherein the conveyorcomprises a first end portion including the first drive roller, a secondend portion including the second drive roller and a central portionincluding a midpoint between the first drive roller and the second driveroller, and wherein said first frame element and said second frameelement each include a top and a bottom, and wherein a conveyor interiorvolume is bounded by said first frame element and said second frameelement and a plane including said first frame element bottom and saidsecond frame element bottom, and wherein said conveyor interior volumeincludes a lift-table-receiving space in said central portion, said beltnot extending into said lift-table-receiving space.
 2. The conveyor ofclaim 1 including a lift mechanism extending into thelift-table-receiving space.
 3. The conveyor of claim 1 including a lifttable having a platform, the platform extending into thelift-table-receiving space.
 4. A conveyor comprising a frame havingfirst and second spaced frame elements each having a top, a bottom, anouter side and an inner side, the inner side of the first frame elementfacing the inner side of the second frame element, first and seconddrive rollers between the first and second frame elements, a flexiblebelt mounted between the first and second drive rollers, the belt havinga load bearing portion and a return portion, the return portionextending between the inner sides of the first and second frameelements, wherein the conveyor comprises a first end portion includingthe first drive roller, a second end portion including the second driveroller and a central portion including a midpoint between the firstdrive roller and the second drive roller, and wherein the centralportion of the conveyor includes a lift-table receiving space betweensaid first drive roller and said second drive roller and between saidfirst frame element and said second frame element, the return portion ofthe belt extending between the load bearing portion and thelift-table-receiving space.
 5. The conveyor of claim 4 including a lifttable having a support platform in said lift-table-receiving space. 6.The conveyor of claim 4, including a first drive wheel connected to thefirst drive roller and a second sprocket connected to the second driveroller and a drive having a drive sprocket, and a drive chain connectingthe first and second sprockets to the drive sprocket.
 7. The conveyor ofclaim 4, wherein the first sprocket and the second sprocket are mountedon the outer side of the first frame element.
 8. A conveyor comprising aframe having first and second spaced frame elements having outer sidesand facing inner sides, first and second drive rollers between the firstand second sides, a flexible belt mounted on the first and second driverollers, and drive means for driving the first drive roller in a firstdirection and for driving the second drive roller in a second directionopposite said first direction.
 9. The conveyor of claim 8, including alift table extending into a space between the first and second frameelements.
 10. The conveyor of claim 8, wherein said drive means includesa drive, a first sprocket connected to said first drive roller, a secondsprocket connected to said second drive roller and a drive chainconnecting said first sprocket, said second sprocket and said drive. 11.A method of transferring articles comprising: providing a planar supportsurface; providing a first conveyor having a load carrying surface;placing the first conveyor on the support surface such that the loadcarrying surface is located a first distance from the planar supportsurface; providing a lift table shiftable between a loweredconfiguration and a raised configuration, the lift table in the loweredconfiguration having a first height; placing the lift table adjacent tothe first conveyor on the planar support surface; providing a secondconveyor having a bottom and a load carrying surface and a lift-tablereceiving opening, the second conveyor load carrying surface beingspaced from the bottom by a second distance, a sum of the first heightand the second distance being greater than the first distance; placingthe second conveyor on the lift table with a portion of the lift tablein the lift-table-receiving opening so that a second height, from theplanar support surface to the second conveyor load carrying surface, isless than the sum of the first height and the second distance; andtransferring an article from the second conveyor to the first conveyor.12. The method of claim 11, wherein the second height is less than orequal to the first distance.
 13. The method of claim 11, includingoperating said second conveyor to move said second conveyor loadcarrying surface in a first direction, stopping said second conveyor andoperating said second conveyor to move said second load carrying surfacein a second direction opposite said first direction.